1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the field of bathing handicapped or otherwise incapacitated individuals. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for providing such an individual a means by which he or she may safely bathe in a prone or supine position. More particular yet, the present invention includes a waterproof, non-slip padding on a raised platform. The padded platform has through-holes which allow water to flow therethrough during showering. The present invention provides for mobility of the individual for bathing purposes with or without assistance from others.
2. Description of Prior Art
In the field of bathing handicapped individuals, there have been numerous attempts to assist those individuals or those people who care for those individuals (e.g., nurses, home-care professionals, and the like) during either showering or immersion in a bath. Assorted mechanisms have been used in such prior-art attempts. Overall, the goal of these prior-art attempts has been to provide a safe and easy way to deal with maneuvering the handicapped individual into, out of, and within a tub or shower. Usually, these prior-art attempts involve two basic types of mechanisms. The first involves some form of specialized tub that is essentially a large, self-contained vessel that holds both bath-water and the individual to be bathed. The second involves some form of seat upon which the individual is placed and subsequently lowered into a standard tub or shower. However, neither type of prior-art device provides a safe and cost-effective mechanism to assist handicapped individuals in bathing regardless of assistance from others. Indeed, the complexity of such prior-art efforts has undercut whatever advantages they might otherwise offer. The time and effort involved in using complex and inefficient bathing-related devices is self-defeating. Other prior-art bathing-related devices have their own disadvantages.
One prior-art bathing-related device is that of Gaffney (U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,691), and involves a rectangular frame with a webbed seat for transporting individuals to and from a bathtub and for supporting them while in the tub. This prior-art device is limited to merely facilitating assistance of lighter-weight individuals such as children, and lacks any capacity for allowing the individual alone to operate the device without assistance from others. Thus, such a prior-art device fails to provide much versatility.
Another prior-art bathing-related device is that of Kagawa (U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,629). This prior-art device includes a rectangular frame similar to that of the device of Gaffney but differs in that the device of Kagawa is designed to hold water as opposed to being water-permeable. When full of water, however, the device of Kagawa is difficult to operate, as the quantity of water combined with the weight of the individual being bathed makes the device very heavy and unstable. As in the device of Gaffney, the device of Kagawa cannot be operated or made mobile solely by the individual being bathed. That is to say, the device of Kagawa cannot function for bathing an unassisted individual. In addition, the use of a tub which holds a substantial volume of water creates a safety hazard. This safety hazard may tragically result in the accidental drowning of an individual.
Still another prior-art bathing-related device is that of Finley (U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,894). The device of Finley includes a frame with four small wheels and a retractable guiderail. A chair is supported on the frame and is slidable along the guiderail when the guiderail is folded-out into a tub adjacent to the frame. This allows the chair to slide from beside the tub to above the tub. The device of Finley exhibits several flaws, including, most importantly, a lack of stability in securing an individual during bathing. When the chair is slid to its position above the tub, there are no handles or sides to maintain the individual in an upright position. Further, the fold-out guiderail is difficult to operate without assistance from others. Still further, the device of Finley suffers from the same deficiency seen throughout the prior art, i.e., the lack of mobility without assistance from others.
Accordingly, the prior art fails to provide any bathing-related device that allows an incapacitated individual to maneuver himself into, out of, and within a shower. Therefore, what is needed is a bathing-related device that provides a stable platform that can be easily wheeled around by an individual alone. What is also needed is such a bathing-related device that provides a safe platform surface that is both non-slip and does not accumulate water. Further, what is needed is such a device that secures the individual being bathed against undesirable movement or falls from the platform. It is important to note that the prior art fails to permit the individual to rest on the padding in any orientation; e.g., on his side, stomach, or back. Individuals with bedsores often cannot lay on their backs, and the prior art all essentially requires the individual to lay upon his back.